The Absolute Dreamiest Creative Power Couples

Being an artist can be lonely work. The need for constant creative stimulation, new ideas and fresh work to add to the portfolio can lead to creative burn-out. There’s something very enticing about sharing the burden of creation with someone. It’s easy to imagine that you could reach your full potential with an intelligent and stylish creative soul-mate as a muse, co-collaborator and trustworthy critic. I think there is something really special to be said for those types of relationships. But do they really exist? Can one really find a long-term platonic partner to share the burden of creating awesome art with?

Some of the most successful creatives today are partnerships, or more specifically romantic partnerships. Think Inez and Vinoodh, Mert and Marcus, Dolce and Gabbana, Reuben and Isabel Toledo, Scott Schuman and Garance Dore and the list goes on. Maybe love is the vital ingredient that makes it all work. The trust and intimacy in these kinds of relationships breeds a foundation for unbiased input: They can go to each other for advice and receive constructive criticism, which can propel both individuals even further forward creatively. Perhaps leading them to take risks they may otherwise not take.

In the case of super-photographers Inez and Vinoodh for example, one is said to make the picture while the other steals the picture. As Inez coaxes the model into various poses and emotional expressions, Vinoodh quietly moves around the studio taking pictures. Inez is the only one who speaks to the model. Every shot you see where the model is looking directly into the camera would have been taken by Inez, while the shots that look more candid, and “off to the side” where made by Vinoodh. Both photographers have a slightly different, but complimentary angle. Ultimately, one can always rely on the other to get “the golden shot” allowing them to relax and get into that creative flow all artists need to produce their best work. Not to mention, love is an unbelievable source of inspiration. If you take the love aspect out of the equation, the partnership might not thrive in the same way. Love makes us see our partners as part of ourselves. It becomes less of a power struggle. Not to say that their relationships aren’t complicated, but the chemistry makes up for the fact. For example Sofia Sanchez & Mauro Mongiello as well as Mert and Marcus in an unimaginable feat of civility take turns when shooting, and they’re always in near-perfect alignment when it comes to choosing their strongest shots. That’s chemistry.

Scroll down to see some of our favorite creative couples. For a more comprehensive list see here!